Method and apparatus for tagging garments



E. F. MEYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAGGING GARMENTS May 27, 1947.

Filed March 27, 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Invert-to Ewalol F Me Attorney.

y 7, 1947. E. F. MEYER 2,421,348

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAGGING GARMENTS Filed March 27, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ln /er-vtof: Ewald. F Me er- Patented May 27, 1947 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAGGING GARMENTS 11Claims.

My invention relates to a method and apparatus for tagging articles ofclothing, such for example as deposited in laundries by numerous ownersfor the purpose of having them laundered and returned to the owners, andthe purpose served by the invention is to provide a simple and effectivearrangement by which such articles can conveniently, quickly, and safelyhave applied thereto a tag bearing the name, initials or otheridentifying insignia of the owners.

Within recent years the laundry business has developed and expanded toenormous proportions. The general practice of doing laundry work at homehas now been quite generally superceded by having such work done bycentrally located laundries. Enormous numbers of garments from a verylarge number of owners are therefore brought almost daily to theselaundries. A serious problem has developed in so marking the variousarticles that after they have been laundered they can be properly sortedand the articles belonging to the different customers be certainly puttogether for return to those customers. A very considerable expense insuch laundries is incurred because the wrong articles are forwarded andarticles are lost which the laundries are called upon to replace.

The prior methods of tagging garments usually employ metal members. Insome laundries the tags are secured to the garments by pins such assafety pins, in others the tags are stapled to the garments. These metalmembers are undesirable in the laundering operations and when they areleft on the garment, as frequently happens, a wearer of the garment maybe rendered uncomfortable or even injured from this form of attachmentof tags. Moreover, frequently they come off, so, in sorting, the garmentcannot be identified.

From a very extensive experience in the laundry business and first-handcontact with the above noted problem and the financial losses resultingfrom it, I have discovered a very simple and effective means of taggingarticles in laundries, which is of relatively low cost and can be usedeasily and safely and, more important, which makes sorting not onlyaccurate in a manner to greatly reduce the time consumed and the expenseincurred in the sorting operation, but eliminates the liability ofdiscomfort to wearers if for any reason the tag has not been removed.

It is an important feature of my invention to provide a stand havingtherein a compartment for holding a spool of thread, and supporting in avertical position a, stout needle which has its point 2 protected by aswinging guard so that articles to be tagged and the appropriate tag maybe forced down over the needle to cause the same to be thrust through aportion or portions of one or a group of garments, whereby said tag,with a subsequent simple and easy operation of withdrawing and cutting asection of thread extending through the garment or garments may besecurely attached thereto. Such a tag so applied will certainly gothrough the various laundering operations and be in convenient positionfor inspection When the garments are sorted after those operations arecompleted.

It is a principal object of my invention, therefore, to provide a standand easing having removably mounted therein a vertically extended needlewith a guard above the point thereof, and to provide the needle with athread extending through the eye thereof so that part or parts of agarment or garments may be forced down over the needle to project thesame and a section of the thread through the garment or garments and atag associated therewith.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a compartment for aspool of thread in the lower part of said stand and casing and toprovide a guide for said thread to carry the same adjacent the buttshank of the needle where the thread passes upward alongside of theneedle and through the eye thereof.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a spool chamber havingits walls so positioned relatively to the needle that when thread isdrawn from the spool an end of the spool will engage the front wall ofthe chamber and the edges of the two spool flanges will engage a sidewall of the chamber and such engagement will effectively tension thethread as it is drawn through the needle.

It is a further object of my invention to mount a very stout, strongneedle in the stand with a shank of sufiicient length-so that after theportion or portions of a garment or garments has been forced down overthe needle the thread of the needle coming from the spool may be grippedby a finger against the needle and the portion or portions of a garmentor garments then may be drawn from the spool and through the needle andwhich has passed through the garment or garments may be easily out,leaving the portion of the thread connected with the spool stillthreaded through the eye of the needle.

It is a further object of my invention to provide, in conjunction withthe means for getting a, section of thread through a garment or garmentsand a tag, a very simple knotting device whereby the ends of the threadsmay readily be knotted to tie the tag on the garment or garments.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description thereof which will now be givenin the appended specification, and the novel features of the inventionwhich bring about the above indicated advantageous results will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating an application of my invention in one form:

l is a side elevation. view of the casing and stand which comprise myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 4 .-;4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, viewed inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing a garment orgarments and a tag applied to the needle.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view through the standtaken in the plane of the needle.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showin how sliding a garment or garments upthe needle, when the thread from the spool is restrained, will produce aloop of the thread outside the needle.

Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. 8 showing how the thread loop of Fig. 8has drawn out the free end of the thread and then the thread from the129. 1 i drawn ou n a n 010 to t cut er where it is severed. leaving astrand of thread xtend t qu h t a me ready t be tie with the thread fromthe spool still threaded through the needle.

Fi 10 is a perspective view indicating the strand of thread through thegarment and tag ready for tieing.

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the tag tied in position on a group ofgarments.

Figs. 12 and 13 show the manner in which the doubled threads are wrappedaround the knotting pegs and how the knot is formed.

As illustrated, I provide a bottom casing I2 which has a front member I3swingably applied thereto, curved side walls I4 and I l, a back wall Iand bottom wall I 6, all united together to form a spool chamber I'I,Figs. 3 and l. The side walls I lare curved toward each other at I8. andI9 and are provided with extensions 23 and 2! hich are secured to aneedle block 22 by means of screws 23 and 24, Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4the plate extensions 23 and 2| are held in parallel relation and areprovided with arcuately cut out parts 2-5 and 23 as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 3. The back wall I 5 has an extension 21 which may, ifdesired, be formed integrally with the extensions 2i) and 2| and whichin any event ties them together. to. give an overhanging top standard28.

Mounted upon a pivot 29' is a swinging guard member 3!) which comesabove the point 3i of a stout needle 32 which has its heavy shank 33seated in a bore 34 in the needle block 22 and removably held therein bya set screw 35, Figs. 3 and 7. The swinging guard 30 thus overlies thepoint 3! of needle 32 so close to that needle that accidental injury ofthe hands of the operator or any other injury from the needle isefiectively prevented. The guard 33 swings upwardly a sufficientdistance to give adequate room to apply the garment or garments and tagto the needle to force the same through them. The block 22 is providedwith a thread guide hole 36, Fig. 3, through which the thread 3'! fromthe spool 38 is carried to a point alongside the needle 32 from where itis passed through the eye 33 of the needle 32, Figs. 3 and 4.

It is, of course, necessary to tension the thread coming from the spooland also to hold the spool from rolling to unwind the thread except asthe thread is used. To accomplish this result the spool 38 by itsflanges 40 and II, Figs. 3 and 4, rests upon the floor I6 of chamber IIbetween side walls I4 and I4 thereof, being free to roll on its flangesin either direction, The diameter of the spool flanges is considerablygreater than half the distance across chamber IT, with the result thatthe part 3'! of the thread 3'! going to the spool 36 from the threadguide 35 extends at an angle outwardly from the body of the spool 38, asclearly shown in Fig. 4. Hence, when the thread is drawn off of thespool it rotates the spool so as to roll flanges 40 and M against theside wall I 4 and thus brakes the spool rotation to effect verysatisfactory tensioning of the thread as it is drawn from the spool. Italso has the effect of causing the face of the flanged end 48 of thespool to engage the inner surface of the closure wall I3 of member I3,which further tensions the thread from the spool and prevents undesiredunwinding thereof.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the side walls I4 and M are provided withright angled flange extensions t5 and 46 and the bottom wall I6 is madewide enough to have its edges extend to the edges of these flanges.These members are secured together in any desired way, as for example byspot welding, and, by means of screws 47, the assemblage may be fastenedto a base plate such as is indicated at 48 or in practice probably wouldbe screwed to a table or bench where the operators would be working.

The member I3 is connected with a wall part I 3 which closes the spoolchamber I'I. It has parallel side walls 42 which, as shown in Fig. 2,are separated slightly more than the walls 23 and 2! and which arepiVOtally secured to the block 22 by means of screw members 44, whichpass through the ears 43 on the side walls 42. Rivets could be used inplaee of screw members. Whichever is used it pivots the entire member I3and its back Wall I3 so that it can be swung outwardly as indicated indotted lines, Fig. 1, to give access to the spool chamber I 1 forremoving empty spools and inserting filled spools therein.

The side walls 32 are cut out as indicated at 9, Figs. 1 and 3, andsupport a blade holder 53 wherein is a. cutting blade 53, best shown inFigs. 1 and 3. This cutting blade may be an ordinary safety razor blade,and has its edge exposed for use while it is protected againstaccidental contacts.

A pair of end walls 54 and 55 between side walls 42 form a verticalchamber in which is adapted to slide a plunger 5| normally held in anupright position by means of a compression spring 52; The plunger 5!carries three pegs 10, H, and 12, of which the peg 12 has at its upperend an inwardly turned hook 13, Figs. 2, 12 and 13. These pegs areadapted to be drawn down to carry them beneath a top plate 14, Fig. 3,apertures of sufficient size being provided to let the pegs and hookmember 73 pass through top plate M.

The plunger 5! carrying the pegs 18, :l and 1'2 has a finger piece 15which is secured by a screw 16 extending through a slot Tl in side wall42. By pressing down on the finger piece 15 the spring 52 is compressedand the pegs 19, H, and 12 are drawn down through the holes in the plate14.

The operation of my device in use is simple and easy to learn but isimportant. This method of use is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive.As shown in Fig. 6, a pair of garments as socks 56 and a tag 51 areshown applied over the needle 32. This is done by taking .a singlethickness of each of the garments in conjunction with the tag andintroducing them in the space 58 between the end of needle 32 and theswinging guard 36 and forcing the layers of fabric and tag down over theneedle to the bottom thereof where they are caused to engage the top ofneedle block 22.

As shown in Fig. 7, several garments as three pair of socks have beenplaced in position together.

The next step of the method of operation is shown in Fig. 8, where thethread 31 is held by pressure of a finger against the shank 33 and thegarments are pushed upwardly on the needle toward the point thereof,This produces a loop of thread indicated at EU.

The holding pressure of the finger on the thread 31 is continued, asindicated in Fig. 8, and with the free hand, while the garment portionsand tags are maintained in their respective positions, they are pushedout to produce the loop 69. The free end of thread 31 is then drawn out,and a length of thread is drawn through the eye of the needle and fromthe spool 33 into an elongated loop indicated at 6| in Fig. 9. Thiselongated loop is brought upon the knife edge 53 at 62, Fig. 9, where itis out, leaving extending through the garments 56 and the tag 51' alength of thread indicated at 63 of Fig. 10.

This length of thread is free at its ends and, of course, extendsthrough a portion of each of the garments and of the tag which wereapplied to the needle as indicated in Fig. '7. The length of thread 63is then tied, as indicated at 64 in Fig. 11, and the operation oftagging is completed.

This tieing is effected in a very simple manner, as indicated in Figs.12 and 13. The two ends of the thread 31 which passes through thegarments and the tag are brought together so as to give a doubledstrand, the ends of which are indicated at 18 and 19, in Figs. 12 and13. These doubled strands are then wrapped around the three pegs 10, Hand 12, as indicated in Fig. 12. The double strand end 19 is thencarried over the double strand end I8 and under the hook 13, asindicated in Fig. 13.

It would be understood, of course, that one end of the doubled strand,as the end 18, has the threads extending in a loop through the garmentand the tag, as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10. As laid about the pins 10,H and I2, Figs. 12 and 13, there is formed a loop 80 of the doubledstrand and the free ends 19 of said strands are brought under the hook1'3 on pin 12. The plunger 5| is then depressed by means of the fingerpiece 15.

This carries down the pins 10, H and 12 and leaves the loop 80 upon theplate 14. But the hook member 13 haspushed the free end 19 of thedoubled strand through the loop 80 and when the garment and tag attachedto the portion I8 of the doubled strands are pushed away from the plate74, and particularly from the hook 13, the loop 89 is drawn up on theportion 19 of the doubled strand thus making a holding knot. An operatormay become very expert in using this knotting device, in fact in usingthe entire device, so that the tag may have the thread inserted throughit and the garment or garments to which it is attached, and the completetag-applying operation including the knotting be quickly cornpleted.

It will be understood, of course, that this tagging may be effected witha single article and in many instances it would be, but in a greatnumber of cases, such for example as the laundering of socks andhandkerchiefs and garments of similar character, a number of saidgarments will have applied thereto a single tag. The result is, ofcourse, great economy both in tagging and in sorting.

However, the most important advantage of the invention is that the tagis applied in a manner in which it cannot become disengaged, it cannot,as is true with present methods of tagging, interfere with thelaundering operations and it cannot be a discomfort to a subsequent userif it has not been removed. Furthermore, the tag is of sufficient size,with the indelible markings on it of suflicient size so that in sortingafter laundering has been completed the tag can be located and readyvery easily, thus clearly facilitating the sorting operation.

While this invention has been described as peculiarly applicable to thebusiness of laundries and the tagging of goods in connection withlaundering operations, it is to be understood that the term laundriesand laundering includes any form of garment renovating and cleaning, asfor example dry cleaning, and the invention is to be construed ascovering the tagging of garments or other flexible members for anypurpose or use.

I claim:

1, A method of tagging garments, which consists in holding a needle infixed and exposed position, carrying a thread extending from a threadsupply through the eye of said needle, manually holding a section of thegarment and a tag together and forcing the parts so held upon saidneedle to carry a loop of thread through a part of the garment and thetag, drawing the ing therethrough, withdrawing the garment and tag fromthe needle with the thread extending through parts of said garment andtag, thereafter drawing out a suificient length of the thread throughthe needle eye from the supply, cutting off said length of thread toleave a free section extending through the tag and garment and to leavethe thread from the supply still running through the needles eye, andtying the ends of said section.

2. A method of tagging garments, which consists in holding a needle infixed and exposed vertical position with its point up, carryin a threadextending from a thread supply through the eye of said needle, manuallyholding a section of the garment and a tag together and forcing theparts so held upon said needle to carry a double strand of said threadthrough a part of thread from the thread supply thereof still runningthrough the needles'eye, andtying the-lends of said section to securethe tag to the garment.

3. A method of tagging garments which-consists in holdinga needle in afixed vertical position with the point and shank extending upwardly andexposed, carrying a thread extending from a thread supply through theeye of said needle, manually holding sections of a plurality ofg-armentsand a tag together and forcing theparts so held down over said needle tocarry a loop of the thread through the held parts of the garment andtag, drawing the free end of said loop from the garments'and tag toleave a single strand of th thread and the needle extending through theheld parts of the garments and tag, withdrawing the garments and tagfrom the needle to leave the thread extending .through .parts of thegarments and-tag, drawing out a sufficient length of the thread throughthe needle eye from thesupply, cutting off a length of said thread toleave a free section extending through the garments and the tag with thethread from the supply still extending through the needles eye, andtying the ends of said section to secure the tag onall said garments.

4. A method of tagging garments, which consists in holding a needle infixed and exposed vertical position with itspoint up, providing aspoolof thread of ordinary construction and carrying the thread strandtherefrom through the eye of said needle, manually holding asection ofthe garment .and a ta together and forcing the parts so held down oversaid needle to-cause a double strand of the thread to be projectedthrough the heldpart of the garmentand the tag, drawing out the :freeendof saidth-read from the garment and tag to leave said end free andexposed, withdrawing the garment and tag from the needle with the threadextending through a part of the garment and the tag, drawin 'out asuflicient length of the thread through the needle eye from the spool,braking and retarding rotation of the spool as the thread is drawn outto cause the thread to be tensioned, cutting on a length of .said threadto leave a free :section extending through the tag and garment With thethread from the spool still running through the need-le s eye, and tyingthe ends -.of said section.

-5. A device for tagging garments comprising ;a stand, a needle *blockonsaid stand, 1 a stout. needle removably held in fixed vertical positionon said stand, va thread-holding compartment in the stand, a spool ofthread freely rotatable in said compartment, a part of said threadextending through :the eye of the needle, and a guard mounted to swingin a verticalplane and having a portion extending adjacent to and overthe point of the needle.

:6. A device for taggin garments comprisin :a stand, a needle block .onsaid stand, a stout needle removably ihe-ld'zi-n fixed verticalposit-ion on :said

stand, :a thread-holding compartment .in the stand, :a spool of threadfreely rotatable in said compartment, apart of said thread extendingthrough the eye of the needle, a guard mounted toswing in averticalplane and having a portion extending adjacent to and .over thepoint of the needle, and a protectedcutter blade carried by the blockadjacent said needle.

'7. A device for tagging garments, comprising a standaneedle blockonsaidstand, a stout needle removably held in fixed vertical position on saidstand, the needle having an eye in its free end, aithrea'd-holdingcompartment in the stand comprising opposed side walls, astandard spoolhaving end :flanges withexposed annular edges carryinga supply ofthreadmounted in the compartment, the side walls of said compartmentspaced apart adistance-sufiicient.to permit free rotation ofthe flangesof the thread spool therein, the thread spool having a side abutting onewall in thesaid compartment so that the exposed annular fianges'contactthe one wall of the compartment, the sideof the spool adjacent theotherwall of the compartment positioned beyond a line in alignment withthe needl and substantially the central portion of the spool, the threadsupply thereby extending obliquely inwardly from the side of the spooladjacent the other wall of the compartment toward the one Wall of thecompartment and the free end of the needl and through the eye of theneedle whereby when the thread is drawn through the eye of the needlefrom the spool it will cause the spool to roll toward said one wall andthe flanges-Of th spool will be caused to engage and roll against saidone wall whichacts as a brake upon the spool to tension the threadsupplied to the needle.

8. A device for tagginggarments, comprising a stand, means includinga-needle held in rigid vertical position'on said stand and a threadpassing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said threadmay be inserted through a tag and a garment, means for cutting off thestrand to leave the free ends thereof on-either side of the points ofinsertion through the garment and tag, means including a set of exposedpegs about which the two ends of the strand may be looped, and means formoving the pegs contacted by the strand to effect tying of the free endsof the strand.

9. Azdevice for tagging garments,.comprising a stand, means including aneedle held in fixed vertical position on said stand and a threadpassing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said threadmay be inserted through a tag and apart of the garment, means forcutting ofi .a length of said strand to leave th ends thereof extendingin opposite directions from the garment and tag, 'a plunger operativeupon the stand, pegs on the plunger normally held in exposed positionand adapted to have the exposed ends of the strand jointly wrapped aboutthe same, and means to operate the plunger and the pegs thereon toeifect tying of the free ends of thestrands.

10. Adevice for tagging garments, comprising a stand, means including aneedle held in fixed vertical positionon saidstand and a-thread passingthrough the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said thread may beinserted through a tag and a part of the garment, means for cutting offa length of said strand to leave the ends thereof extending in oppositedirections .from the garment and tag, a plunger operative upon thestand, pegs on the plunger upon which the free ends of the strand areadapted to be jointly wrapped, a top plate having holes through whichthe pegs are adapted to pass to be held in exposed position, a springfor-so holding the pegs, and means when the ends of the strands arewrapped about the pegs to depress the plunger to move the pe s below theplate to effect tying of the free ends of the strands.

11. A device for tagging garments, comprising a stand, means including aneedle held in fixed vertical position on said stand and a threadpassing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said threadmay be inserted through a tag and a part of the garment, means forcutting off a length of said strand to leave the ends thereof extendingin opposite directions from the garment and tag, a plunger operativeupon the stand, pegs on the plunger upon which the free ends of thestrand are adapted to be jointly wrapped, an inturned hook on one ofsaid pegs, a top plate having holes through which the pegs and the hookare adapted to pass to be held in EWALD F. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 127,579 Cussen June 4, 18722,063,918 Flood Dec. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date344,481- France Nov. 5, 1904

